Dragons are giant beings with wings that come in a variety of colors. There are different dragons for different elements. The most common image of a dragon is a fire-breathing winged beast. You can find dragons in books and the media. They are presented as evil creatures who steal princesses from their castles or steal the treasure. Or as docile and wise.
There are other varieties of how people view and perceive dragons. Especially different cultures and how each culture has similar and or different meanings. The physical aspect of dragons also changes depending on the culture. Could this be due to the different influences of the different cultures? This blog looks to find some answers to this question.
An article was written by Joseph Stromberg for the Smithsonian magazine about what animals could have potentially been an influence on the myth of dragons.
In his article, Stromberg tells us how the myth of dragons came to be independently in different countries such as China, Australia, America, and Europe. There are 5 different creatures listed: dinosaurs, goanna, whales, Nile crocodiles, and surprisingly humans.
Dinosaur bones could be a possible influence on the Chinese view of dragons. The size of the bones is the reason why it is a possible influence. The goanna is the possible influence for Australia. These creatures as described by Stromberg have “razor-sharp teeth and claws”. The whales played an influence before there was technology and knowledge about what happens in the ocean and what creatures live there. Their bones same as the dinosaur ones are the reason why they have a possible influence.
The size of the Nile crocodiles and the ability to walk with their whole body include the trunk off the ground. The most surprising creature for me at least was human. Stromberg talks about how the human mind that has a fear of larger predators combined with folklore “created” the aspect of dragons.
This is a Nile Crocodile that is mentioned above. This image is taken from National Geographic.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of what could be discovered about these mythical animals. This blog will be looking into how cultures view dragons differently or similarly. This will be really interesting for me to look into because as mentioned in my About Me page I love dragons. I have always been curious about why dragons look different such as the Chinese dragon versus the tribal dragon drawings. I hope you will enjoy this trip around the world with me.
Here is a link if you want to learn more:
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